Scrapbook includes black-and-white and color photographs, brochures about hotels and steamships taken by Jack Wagner during his trip along the west coast of Mexico in 1951.
Scope and Content
Scrapbook includes black-and-white and color photographs, brochures about hotels and steamships taken by Jack Wagner during his trip along the west coast of Mexico in 1951. There are 20 photographs of Jack Russell's train trip from Manzanillo to Mexico City, including an incident where the tender parted from the steam engine.
History / Biographical
A native of California, John ("Jack") Russell Wagner began his career as a radio engineer in 1937, and served as a civilian with the Army's Signal Corps and Air Corps during World War II. It was in this latter service that he became associated with the Manhattan Project. After the war he returned to the radio business in Northern California, working in that field until 1981 when he retired as Director of Broadcast Operations for San Francisco station KCBS. Mr. Wagner traveled widely and wrote articles on western topics for such publications as WESTWAYS, TRUE RAILROAD MAGAZINE, AMERICAN FORESTS and WESTERN MINING JOURNAL. In addition he wrote three books, SHORT LINE JUNCTION (1956), GOLD MINES OF CALIFORNIA (1970) and THE LAST WHISTLE [OCEAN SHORE RAILROAD] (1974). Mr. Wagner died in October, 1988 at the age of 72.
Access Restrictions
Collection open for research. Contact Library & Archives staff for appointment.
Collection is open for research by appointment. Contact CSRM Library & Archives staff for details.